1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a game; and more particularly to a board game for children, as well as adults.
2. Related Art
Many different types of board games are known in the art, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,708 that describes a family quiz board game. However, the inventor is not aware of a board game having a picnic motif featuring ant movements and ant related structures for children, as well as adults, especially which reinforces each player""s knowledge of mathematical relationships, such as odd numbers, even numbers and greater than and less than relationships.
In its broadest sense, the invention provides a method for playing a game involving family members, wherein each player""s knowledge of mathematical relationships. The mathematical relationships may include a greater than relationship, a less than relationship, an odd number relationship, an even number relationship, or a combination thereof. The method includes the following steps:
Each player is provided with a token.
A game board is provided having
a start space,
an end space,
a plurality of sequentially disposed game spaces arranged between the start space and the end space,
an ant cave arranged in relation to one of the sequentially disposed game spaces,
an ant tunnel arranged between and connecting a first one of the sequentially disposed game spaces and a second non-adjacent one of the sequentially disposed game spaces so that a player whose token lands on the first one of the sequentially disposed game spaces may move across the ant tunnel to a given one of the sequentially disposed game spaces located on the other side of the ant tunnel, and
a move-to-ant-cave indicator on selected ones of said sequentially disposed game spaces indicating that a player whose token lands thereon is to go to the ant cave on the game board. The ant cave is typically located less than five game board spaces from the start space to effectively send the player almost back to the start space.
A mathematical relationship indicator is provided for indicating one or more mathematical relationships. The mathematical relationship indicator would typically include playing cards having the one or more mathematical relations printed thereon. However, the mathematical relationship indicator may also be any other device for providing a mathematical relationship in relation to a request from a player, e.g a computerized mathematical relationship indicator where a player presses a button and a mathematical relationship is displayed.
A random number generator is provided operable for providing a random number signifying a number of the sequentially disposed game board spaces to which each player advances the player""s token. The random number generator would typically be a die having two or more numbers printed thereon. The die would be a cube having the numbers 1-6 printed thereon. However, the random number generator may also be any other device for providing a random number in relation to a request from a player, e.g a computerized random number generator.
Each player sequentially determines the number of sequentially disposed game board spaces to advance the player""s token by operating the random number generator on each player""s turn.
When the player""s token lands on the first one of the sequentially disposed game spaces on a player""s turn, then on a player""s next turn a player""s token may be advanced across the ant tunnel.
When the player lands on the selected ones of the sequentially disposed game board spaces having the move-to-ant-cave indicator, the player""s token is moved to the ant cave.
The player""s token is moved from the ant cave to one of the sequentially disposed game board spaces determined the number provided by the random number generator on the player""s next turn after:
the player determines a mathematical relationship provided by the mathematical relationship indicator, which is typically done by picking a playing card,
the player determines the random number provided by the random number generator signifying the number of the sequentially disposed game board spaces to which the player may advance the player""s token, which is typically done by rolling the die, and
the player moves the player""s token from the ant cave only when to the random number satisfies the mathematical relation provided by the mathematical relationship indicator.
A game winner is determined as a first player that moves the player""s token from the start space to the end space.